10 Dumb Things Smart People DoWhen Testing Electricity
These Two Meters Are Good to 600 Volts This Meter Did Not Survive4,160 Volts!
1. Replace the Original Fuse with aCheaper One
If Your Digital Multimeter Meets Today’sSafety Standards, It’s Fuse Is A SpecialSafety Sand Fuse Designed To PopBefore An Overload Hits Your Hand.
When You Change Your DMM Fuse, BeSure To Replace It With the Correct andAuthorized Fuse.
2. Use a Bit of Wire or Metal to GetAround the Fuse All Together
That May Seem Like A Quick Fix IfYou’re Caught Without An Extra Fuse.That Fuse Could Be All That Ends UpBetween You, A Spike Headed YourWay, And Your Life.
3. Use the Wrong Test Meter for theJob
It’s Important To Match Your DMM ToThe Work Ahead.
Make Sure Your Test Tool Holds TheCorrect Cat Rating For Each Job YouDo, Even If It Means Switching DMMsThroughout The Day.
4. Grab the Cheapest DMM on theRack
You Can Upgrade Later, Right? MaybeNot, If You End Up A Victim Of A SafetyAccident Because That Cheap Test ToolDidn’t Actually Contain The RequiredSafety Features to Protect You.
Look For Independent LaboratoryTesting.
5. Leave Your Safety Glasses in YourShirt Pocket.
Take Them Out. Put Them On. It’sImportant.
Ditto Insulated Gloves And Flame-resistant Clothing.
6. Work on a Live Circuit
De-energize The Circuit Whenever Possible.
If The Situation Requires You To Work On ALive Circuit
Use Properly Insulated Tools
Wear Safety Glasses And/Or A Face Shield AndInsulated Gloves
Remove Watches Or Other Jewelry
Stand On An Insulated Mat
Wear Flame-resistant Clothing, Not Regular WorkClothes.
7. Fail to Use Proper Lockout/tag-out Procedures.
Know Your Company’s Lockout/TagoutPolicies And Procedures By Memory
Use Proper Lockout/Tagout ProceduresEach And Every Time
8. Keep Both Hands on the Test
Don’t! When Working With Live Circuits,Remember The Old Electrician’s Trick.
Keep One Hand In Your Pocket. That LessensThe Chance Of A Closed Circuit Across YourChest And Through Your Heart.
Hang Or Rest The Meter If Possible.
Try To Avoid Holding It With Your Hands ToMinimize Personal Exposure To The EffectsOf Transients.
9. Neglect Your Leads
Test Leads Are An Important ComponentOf DMM Safety.
Make Sure Your Leads Match The CatLevel Of Your Job As Well.
Look For Test Leads With DoubleInsulation, Shrouded Input Connectors,Finger Guards And A Non-slip Surface.
10. Hang On To Your Old TestTool Forever
Today's Test Tools Contain Safety Features
Unheard Of Even A Few Years Ago
Features In Todays Tool Are Worth The
Cost Of An Equipment Upgrade And A
Lot Less Expensive Than An emergency
Room Visit
Understanding Safety VoltageCategories
Category IV
Three-phase At Utility Connection, AnyOutdoor Conductors Refers To The “Origin Of Installation”, I.E., Where
Low-voltage Connection Is Made To Utility Power
Electricity Meters, Primary Overcurrent ProtectionEquipment
Outside And Service Entrance, Service Drop FromPole To Building, Run Between Meter And Panel
Overhead Line To Detached Building, UndergroundLine To Well Pump
Category III
Three-phase Distribution, IncludingSingle-phase Commercial Lighting Equipment In Fixed Installations, Such As
Switchgear And Polyphase Motors
Bus And Feeder In Industrial Plants
Feeders And Short Branch Circuits, DistributionPanel Devices
Lighting Systems In Larger Buildings
Appliance Outlets With Short Connections ToService Entrance
Category II
Single-phase Receptacle ConnectedLoads Appliance, Portable Tools, And Other Household
And Similar Loads
Outlet And Long Branch Circuits
Outlets At More Than 10 Meters (30 Feet) FromCAT III Source
Outlets At More Than 20 Meters (60 Feet) FromCAT IV Source
Category I
Electronic Protected Electronic Equipment
Equipment Connected To (Source) Circuits InWhich Measures Are Taken To Limit TransientOvervoltages To An Appropriately Low Level
Any High-voltage, Low-energy Source DerivedFrom A Highwinding Resistance Transformer, SuchAs The High-voltage Section Of A Copier
Excellent Resources on MeterSafety
Fluke Library Safety Literature
www.fluke.com/library/safety
Examples of Papers on Meter andMeasurement Safety on the Fluke Web Site ABC’s of electrical measurement safety
Choosing the right fuse can be a lifesaver
Safety considerations for making live measurements
Testing your test leads for electrical safety
Safety considerations for making live measurements
Does your meter measure up? Testing your meters for safety
Creating an electrical safety program
Industrial Plant Incident
Temporary Transformer Installation
Resulted From Hurricane Frances September 2004
4160 Volt Secondary Feeders and Bus Connections
Secondary Feeder and Bus Work
New Fluke T5-1000 Meter
Actual Meter Involved in Incident
600 volt meter
Close Up of Bottom of Meter
Victim’s Safety Glasses
Meter Battery Under theAnti-Condensate Heater
Shadow of Meter
Equipment Involved
Shirt, Meter, Meter Test Leads and Safety Glasses
Sadly, This One Testing Mistake Cost The Electrician His life
Thanks To Fluke For SupportingInformation Used In this Presentation